Hugs
by dragonprincess1988
Summary: Dick and Tim have a brotherly moment on a rooftop.


Tim rolled his eyes and tried to focus on what he was doing. "We've been doing this for the last twenty minutes. How many times do I have to tell you? I'm fine!"

Dick was standing next to Tim with his arms folded over his chest. "I still don't believe that."

Tim shifted his gaze from the street below to Dick. "That's your problem, not mine."

Dick stepped closer to him. "It's going to be your problem when I push you off this rooftop."

Tim stared at him smugly. "You wouldn't do that."

Dick moved before Tim even had time to process what was happening, and promptly pushed Tim over the edge. "It's called a jump line. You might want to use it."

Tim felt the wind rush past his face before he even registered anything else. He quickly shot off a line before Dick had even finished speaking, and when he was safely back on the rooftop, Tim threw an explosive pellet at Dick's head. "What the hell was that?"

Dick easily dodged the pellet, and was only faintly surprised it wasn't a dud. "You were being too angsty for me, and it's not like I didn't warn you."

"Warn me?" Tim glared at him. "I wouldn't have called it that."

Dick smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest again. "Yeah, but I bet you'll talk to me now."

"Wrong." Tim turned to leave.

"Tim." Dick wasn't sure what to say, but he had just pushed Tim off of a rooftop and still barely got a reaction out of him. True, he hadn't expected the kid to get hysterical or anything, but it didn't even seem like he was really that angry, explosive pellet aside. Had that been anyone else, Dick would have been expecting at the very least a punch to the face, or in Tim's case a faked punch to the face followed by a nerve strike. "You're not okay."

Tim stopped, but didn't turn around. "If I can get pushed off a rooftop and not become sidewalk pizza, then I'm fine."

"Tim, you're not…" Dick's voice was low.

Tim interrupted him before he could even finish that sentence as he spun around to face Dick. "You have your way of dealing with things, and I have mine. Let's not mix the two."

Dick glanced up at Tim, and expected to see…something, but instead all he got was a black Robin expression. Dick wasn't sure what to say, and when in doubt his motto was always joke around. "I think someone needs a hug," Dick spoke in a singsong tone as he walked towards Tim with out stretched arms

Tim glared at him again. "I hate hugs."

Dick stopped and stared at him. It was clear to him that there was definitely something wrong with Tim. "I think that's why you need one."

"Well, you're wrong." Tim turned to go again.

"Have you ever pondered why you hate hugs so much?" Dick called out to him over the cool night air.

Tim shrugged, but didn't turn around. "I never had to before; the only person who has ever even tried to hug me is you."

Dick wasn't sure what to do with that information. Sure, Tim wasn't the touchy-feely type, but even Dick hadn't thought that he was the **only** person to ever hug Tim. Suddenly Dick felt the need to move. For some reason, standing still during this conversation just didn't feel right, so he flipped into a headstand. "Odd, I don't see why."

Tim turned around. Dick hadn't thought it was possible for the kid's glare to intensify, but it did. "I'm sure you don't."

Dick walked closer, still on his hands. "I don't know what that means, but you used to be fun, Timmy."

"Yeah, when?" Tim's voice was so cold, it almost sounded computerized.

"Before…" Dick trailed off not really sure if he should say it.

Tim ruefully shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Dick flipped back onto his feet. "You know, eventually we're going to have to talk about this."

Tim's face was still blank, "Not really. There's nothing to talk about," and his voice was as equally blank when he spoke.

Dick was close enough now that he could easily wrap his arms around Tim. "Yeah, there is." He instinctively tightened the embrace.

Tim tried to shove Dick away, but Dick just held him tighter. "This really isn't necessary. It's not like I'm going to suddenly breakdown and cry and tell you how right you are, or something."

Dick didn't move, nor did he lessen the strength of the embrace. "Maybe you weren't the only one who needed the hug, Timmy."

Tim immediately tensed at Dick's words, and then very slowly returned the hug. "I don't know why you would."

Dick pulled back just enough to see Tim's face. "Why I would what?"

Tim shrugged. "Plenty of people hug you. I don't know why you would need a hug from me."

Dick didn't know what to say. "I just do, okay." He pulled Tim back into a tighter hug.

Tim laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Like that's ever a good enough answer for me."

Dick smirked against Tim's hair. "I could throw you off the roof again, if it would help."

Tim smiled as he hugged Dick tighter. "Yeah, somehow I don't see that happening."

"Oh, you don't, huh?" Dick slightly shifted to his left, closer to the edge of the roof. "Because I think it might just clear your head a bit."

Tim suddenly looked very serious, but more importantly he looked deadly. "I'll take you with me."

Dick smirked again as he laughed. "Oh, but I'm quick, kiddo."

Tim smiled evilly. "Yeah, but are you quick enough to block a nerve strike?"

"Mmm, I don't know about that." Dick released Tim from the hug. "But the real question is, are you quick enough to beat me back to the cave?"

Before Tim even had time to register what had just happened, Dick was on the next rooftop. "Not fair, not fair at all." Tim smiled to himself as he jumped off the side of the building with his hand already on his grappling gun. Tim wasn't worried about losing to Dick. Dick might have had a head start, and was generally better at swinging from rooftop to rooftop, but Dick didn't know about the shortcut Tim usually took. It wasn't going to be an easy win, but Tim was certain he was going to be the winner nonetheless; and when he made it back, there would be some nice warm Alfred chocolate chip cookies for him.

The End


End file.
